Woman&#39;s garment



Oct. 14, 1952 B. J. CHRISTENSEN 2,613,357

WOMANS GARMENT Filed Nov. 21, 1949 I INVENTOR. BeHe J. Chriszensefl MMMMm Patented Oct. 14, 1952 Bette J: Christensen, Portland, Oreg.,assign'or to Jantzen Knitting Mills Inc., Portland, reg., a corporationof Nevada Application November 21, 1949, Serial No. 128,612

t 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a womans garment, having particularreference to a swimming suit, but, as will appear, the inventive conceptis not necessarily restricted to a swimming suit and may be embodied inother inner or outer arments. The principal objector the presentinvention is to provide firm support for the breasts of the wearer andthe garment therefore comprises an upper portion including breastpockets. A feature of the present invention resides in the provision ofan elastic band passing about the bust of the wearer beneath the breastsand to which breast pocket stiffener elements are attached, thecombination having novel features as will appear. t

A further object of the presentinvention is to provide a womans garmentsuch asa swimming suit in which the breast-supporting portions willremain steadfastly in position regardless of the movements of thewearer. I

A further object of the present invention is to provide a garment of thecharacter described which affords uplift for the breasts of the wearerwithout binding or chafing in any way.

The foregoingand other objects and advantages of the present'inventionwill be more readily ascertained from inspection of the followingspecification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, while the feature ofnovelty will be more distinctly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a rear view of a swimming suitembodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the swimming suit;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken. substantially along the line 3-3 ofFig. 1, following theprofile line of one of the breast pockets; and sFig. 4 is a section taken substantially alongline 5-4 of Fig. 3. r

The garment in which the present invention" is herein illustratedcomprises a swimming suit having a deep V-back, the side edges of the V-back being the upper edges of a pair of back panels I0 and II joinedtogether by a central back seam I2 whichextends from the point of the vto a transverse crotch seam I3 extending laterally between the inneredges of the leg openings I4. Thefront of the swimming suit comprises apair of side panels I5 and I6 attached to the rear panels II! and IIrespectively along side seams I! and I8 respectively. Portions of thelower edges of the panels I5 and it provide portions of the leg openingsIII, the remainder of theyleg openings being provided by a-central,inner panel I9 terminating in a crotch tab 20'which is joined to theback panels along the crotch seam I3. .The central panel I9 is joined tothe side panels along seams 2I and 22 and the upper edges of the sidepanels I5 and I6 are stitched to the outer, pocket panels 23 and 24respectively, which form the, outer halves of the breast pockets, alonghorizontally extending seams 25 and 26' respectively. which define thelower edges of thebreast pockets. The central panel IBterminates belowthe breast pockets as seen immediately above the pointof the V-ba-ck inFig. 1. A central outer panel 21, which is gathered throughout itslength by side shirring seams 28 and 29, extends in frontof the panel I9to provide a decorative effect down the front of the garment, the upperend of the panel 27 forming the central portion of the breast pockets.Preferably the center, of the panel 21 is gathered alongparallelshirring seams 30 extending from top to bottom of the garmentalong the centerline thereof; It is to be appreciated that the garmentmay be cut and sewed together in various other fashions as long as thegarment includes an upper portion, including breast pockets. In sometypes of garments; the lower portion may not include a crotch part aslong as there is means provided in the garment to tightly stretch aresilient bust-:encir-cling, relatively wide, elastic band 3| about thebody of the wearer beneath the breasts. v I

In the instant garment the elastic. band 3I is stitched at its ends tothe opposite side edges 32 and 33 of the V-back anda pair of shoulderstraps 34 and 35 are respectively sewed to the edges of the V-backs nearthe upper edges of band 3| and directed outwardly therefrom in suchmanner as'to call for their being crossed behind the back 'of the wearerto pass over the opposite shoulders. Each of the straps is preferablyprovided with an adjustable hook 36 which maybe slid along the strap andhooked into fabric loops 3! provided at the upper edges of the breastpockets, preferably alon he profile line thereof, the straps cooperatingwith the lower portion of the garment to maintain the band 3| intautcondition about the bust. Therecorporated in other garments having backsand in which the elastic band may completely encircle the bust.

In accordance with the present invention,

"the width 'of band 3 l.

- parent to those tapes 39 stitched to thegarment :bylines of stitching40 paralleling the profile seams. The upper end of tape 39 is looped andstitched within the breast pocket by'stitches ll in order to provide thehook-attaching 1oops 3] The lower end of each stiffener strip extendsfree of the-garmentffo'r a; considerable distance below the lower. edge:of the, breast, pocket, --preferably the projectingzend being :of thesame. length 'as .The tape Bills; preferably looped back outside oftheprojecting end of the "stiifenertstripzand :isfstitched to the band on"either 's'idezof thestiffener strip, along: lines of stitchsbfl .iwiththerlines;of,,;stitches preferably extending substantially; normal tothe band.

Means are thus provided;to-mai tain the stiffener strips inuprightcondition, ;and dueto the conformation of the'..gbody.n .--th ecentral portions thereof which areioutwardlybowed and-may be "shaped by:the wearer to, .-th e desired contour -will-p'oin-t outwardlylto followthe profile, lines of the breasts...v .Thev band, V3;l;, is attached to"the garment by ,stitchesja at, the points where the stiffener s'tripsemerge from the breast pockets, the band-being otherwise unattached tothe garment ex-ceptx.-at Tits. ends, where it is sewn to the-edges 32and"33 of--the v back; p-flherefore,

=the band may stretch '='and; adjust itself lto the -bust of the wearerwithout interfering with, or

interference. :from',

the iremainder of the garmerit whichmay otherwise adapt itselfparticul'arly by stretchingto the shape of the wea ers body. is

-A'liner 'is. preferablyinterposed inthe breast "=pocketlportioniofz-thegarment, I I A v erably comprising outer ,portions 44 and centralportions 45 joined-together lay-seams fastenersing 'alongtheprofilelines of; the brea sit pockets "and a centraltseam H *serts' maybe joined; together; as desired to pro- 41, :but, other. forms 'o'finvide a soft liningaU'lhe upper edge, of tiieillining is-sewn totheuupperaedgeqof the garmnt including (the adjacent portions of {;the Vback, 'andtlielloweriedge; a

upper edge of 'therresilient ,b and, 3 l, the ining b'eing otherwiseunsecured U to-provide 'rnans1fo'r:.-permitt n thQrPIea-st portion-"of-thegarment to istretch or shift about without frictionallyengaging ;the of the either-lining, is sewn 'to the .tei-theiearme ls'as wearer. The-liningis, of coursepcuirand stitched together withi-fullness a to ;:accom ni odate E the breasts; but the 'po'ckets fsol-forinedlie loosely within the pocket portions .ofithegarment itself.

' Haying illiistrated. and-described la preferred invention, it shouldbe apskilled in, the art that the inv'ention per'mits' of modificationin arrangement and detail. lf-claimras myrinvention all suchmodifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim: -1.-A womans garment --co rnprising an upper portion includingbreast pockets, a pair 'of forwardly bowed stiifener strips securedwithin said pockets, each extending vertically along the profile line ofone of said pockets, a relatively wide elastic band extending around theinterior of the front of the garment with its upper edge adjacent thelower edges of said pockets, said band being free from saidf-ga'rm'entthroughout its length and being secured to said garment at its ends,said ends being spaced apart and located at the sides of the rear ofsaid garment, said strips having elongated, lower end portionsextendingfreely beneath said pockets across said band, 'andfmea 'r'issecuring said lower end por- -ti0ns throughout their lengths to saidband to maintain said stiffener strips extending upright therefrom.

25A woman's swimming suit comprising an upper portion including a pairof breast pockets in front and havinga V line upper edge in back withthe pointiof f'the'v.substantially opposite the lower edgeso'fsaidpockets'a relatively wide elastic band extending from 'one sideof the vline upper edge in back around the front -of the suit to theopposite side of the V-line upper edge in backfsaidbandlymg freelyinside of the suit immediately below said pockets and being secured tosaid suit at its ends, a 'deformable stiffener -s't'rip secured 'withineach pocket along the profile line. thereof, and means securing thelowreiid's bf fsaid stiffener strips projecting, 'elofigatdlowe'r 'endportions extending transversely across "said band and secured theretothroughout, whereby saidfstrips are maintained upright condition, saidband'being secured to the lower edges of "s'aid pockets solely wheresaidstiffener i'strips "project therefrom.

3. A womans swimming comprising an upper portion includingapairYofb'rea'st pockets 40.

in front and hayinga V -lihe'up'peredg'e in'back with th oi?? 9 ex nd tolevel below the lower edges of saidpockets, a relatively wideelastic-band secured at it s ends to the side edgesof the -V- .-lineupper edge in back and' extending around the front of the suit inside ofthe suit, immediately below said pockets,

, a forwardly :,bowed, deformable stiffener strip extending along theprofile-line of each pocket and secured thereto throughout the extent ofthe profile line, said stiffenerstrips including freely projecting lowerend portions extending transversely" across said 'bandandisecur'edthereto throughout, whereby "said strips aremaintained upright, saidband'b'eing' secured 'to the bottom edges of said pockets'solelywheresaid stiffener strips pro' je'ct therefromfan'd a liner stitched alongits' iipp'r edge to 'the'upper'edges of said pockets'and along its'lower'edge to the upper edge of said band, said liner including -'breastpocket portions loosely' extending'into the breast pockets of saidjsuit.

4. A womans garment-comprising anbuter I portion including 'a pair ofbreast pockets in "front'and haying a V-'line u'ppered e in back withtheipoilit (if-"the V "X'ten'din'g to a level 'below {the lower 'dgr'a'sof'said pbckets, 'a'relatively wide e'lastic 'band -securediat its ends'to the side edges-of "the V-line upper edge and '"extending'aroundth'efront of the garment in- ;side of the garment immediately "below said-pockets,' a, forwardly bowed, deformable stiffener strip extendingalong thezprofile'line of each f pocket l and {secured theretothrougho'ut the extent of tnei r'onie T line, said "stiffenerstripsineluding freely projecting lower end portions extendingtransversely across said band and secured thereto throughout wherebysaid strips are maintained upright, said band being secured to thebottom edges of said pockets Where said stifiener strips projecttherefrom, a liner stitched along its upper edge to the upper edges ofsaid pockets and along its lower edge to the upper edge of said band,said liner including breast pocket portions loosely extending .into thebreast pockets of said garment, crossed shoulder straps each secured atone end to a side of the V-line upper edge adjacent the end of saidband, and means for securing the other ends of said shoulder straps tothe upper edges of said pockets where the stiffener strips associatedtherewith terminate.

BETTE J. CHRISTENSEN.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,584,525 Freeman May 11, 19262,097,777 Rothman Nov. 2, 1937 2,359,804 Struthers Oct. 10, 19442,418,987 Reid Apr. 15, 1947 2,457,989 Ettleson Jan. 4, 1949 2,481,373Washburn Sept. 6, 1949

